KRD: AFTER THE BATTLE
by Kamen Rider Chrome
Summary: They had defeated Sauron, but still there are many questions left unanswered. One question though will be asked: Is it truly over?


**AFTER THE BATTLE**

Some time had passed since the final battle against Sauron and people returned to their normal lives. School had started again and that meant homework, studying and exams. Yuuki himself was preparing for his university entrance exams as well. He wanted to get into a good school after he graduated.

The bespectacled Rider stood atop the roof with his trusty camera in hand. He took a few snapshots once he got the lens into focus. Nothing in particular, really. He just wanted to past the time taking photos with the camera Roka had given him. She was at basketball practice at the moment.

"Enjoying the view?" Yuuki heard and he spun around to see Ryuji standing before him.

"Oh, Sempai, it's you," said Yuuki relieved.

"So, see anything interesting?" Ryuji asked his fellow Rider.

"I'm just so happy to be alive and that the world is safe," said Yuuki as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Of course you should feel happy. You fought for the entire world," said Ryuji.

"Well, I didn't do much," admitted Yuuki sheepishly.

"Sure you did. Whenever a monster appeared you never ran. You fought without hesitation. And even when you were facing that huge army of Horrors, instead of running you fought with all your might," Ryuji reminded.

"It's not like I had much of a choice," murmured Yuuki.

"You did, and you made the choice you thought was right. I'm proud of you, Yuuki."

Yuuki stared. "That's…that's the first time you ever called me by my name."

"Well, you're not a rookie anymore, are you?" admitted Ryuji.

"No, I'm not," nodded Yuuki. Ryuji placed a hand on Yuuki's shoulder. "Sempai?"

"You don't have to call me that anymore," said Ryuji.

"I disagree. You've trained me and made me stronger," said Yuuki. "You will always be my Sempai." Ryuji nodded but then cocked an eyebrow. This didn't go unnoticed by Yuuki. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I could be wrong, but you seem…taller."

"I do?" Yuuki blinked.

"Yeah, you just look taller," said Ryuji as he compared his height with Yuuki. "See?"

"It must be your imagination," Yuuki reasoned.

"Nah, I'm right. You're standing straighter and taller now than you did when you started out," Ryuji admitted.

"I just never thought I'd be a Rider, or help save the world. I've dreamt about it and after looking back again it just seems so surreal," said Yuuki as he remembered how he got the Vortex Gear all those months ago, and the trials and tribulations that followed. He took out the V-Driver. "But the world is safe now. I don't need this anymore."

"Keep it," advised Ryuji.

"But-"

"You never know when you'll need it again, Yuuki."

Yuuki gazed down at the device that had changed his life. He was no longer a nerd. He was confident now and he had a girlfriend who loved him. He wanted to protect the life he had now. "Alright, I'll keep it. I'm not sure if I'll need it, though."

"You may never know, Yuuki," said Ryuji.

Yuuki smiled and then his V-Touch rang. He took it out of his pocket and pressed the touch screen to accept the call. "Hello? Alright, Roka-san. I'm coming." He hung up. The V-Touch buckle could still function as a normal cell phone. It looked unusual, but it had its uses. It was the treasure that gave him power.

"Hey, after you go see Roka, meet me at my place," said Ryuji.

"Alright, Sempai."

* * *

**AFTER THE BATTLE (It's not over yet)**

* * *

Daizuke wiped the grease clean off his hands using an old rag. His clothed were filthy as he had been working on an engine. He worked part time as a mechanic and considered himself a damn good one despite his young age.

"I wonder what the others are up to?" Daizuke asked himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Torque Deck. He remembered Sauron approaching him and giving him the deck. After finding out what she had planned he decided to just do what he wanted and it didn't involve her. It was strange that she didn't come after her. It was like she was letting him go on purpose. "Well, no reason to think about that bitch anymore. She's dead."

He got himself cleaned up and changed since his shift was over and decided to head to the Radish. It was his favourite place since cute girls were waitresses. They had gone back to the original skimpy two-piece uniform but still wore those cute little cat ears for the Moe-Factor. It really did attract the customers more than the snacks.

He entered and scanned the place. He gave an appreciative whistle before going over to sit at an empty table. He glanced around and then saw Yuuki with Roka. He got to know the kid pretty well since they met. Like him he got his powers out of luck. They got along pretty well. It was just that Daizuke couldn't get along well with Ryuji. That guy could hold a grudge but then again getting blown up wasn't something anyone was willing to forgive so readily.

Daizuke rose up from his seat and greeted them. "Hey, Yuuki."

"Daizuke-san," said Yuuki, surprised to see the Knight. "What brings you here?"

"Just enjoying the view," grinned Daizuke. "So, is this your girl?"

"Hai, this is my girlfriend Roka-san," said Yuuki.

"Nice to meet you, Roka," said Daizuke.

Roka wondered if this guy was a Rider since he seemed so familiar to Yuuki. But it didn't really matter. Yuuki had told her about the final battle and she doubted the Riders would still be needed after that. Yuuki still kept the Vortex Gear.

"Say, are you a Rider?" Roka asked bluntly.

"Roka-san!" gasped Yuuki.

"A Zodiac Knight, actually," Daizuke corrected, "But I'm with the Riders." He finished, "Well, I'm gonna go back to my table and wait for a cute waitress to take my order. See ya!"

Yuuki aimed his camera at Daizuke as he sat down and took a quick snapshot without him noticing. The camera Roka had given him didn't give out a bright flash.

* * *

Much later, Yuuki and Ryuji stood across from each other in the DynoLiner's training room. Both wore their belts and prepared to fight.

"Henshin!" said Ryuji as he swiped his pass over his belt.

"**SABRE FORM!**"

"Henshin!" Yuuki slotted in his card and pushed the handles to reset the buckle.

"**MASKED RIDE: VORTEX!**"

Once the transformations were complete, the two charged at each other and exchanged blows. Vortex was unafraid to go all out and neither was Ifrit. Ifrit gave Vortex a punch in the gut and received an elbow in the gut. Vortex then used a snap kick to send Ifrit staggering back. The DynoLiner's Rider was impressed at his former Kohai's ferocity and decided not to hold back. He concentrated his power and then shot several ice spikes at Vortex who reacted quickly. Vortex drew his V-Book and converted it to Gun Mode to shoot down the spikes headed for him and ducked under the ones he was unable to shoot down. He then shot at Ifrit who created a shield out of Mythical Ki to deflect the bullets.

"Is that all you got?" Ifrit taunted.

"No," said Vortex as he took out his V-Touch Buckle. He quickly activated it, pressing the symbols before replacing his belt buckle with it, the V-Driver now on the right side of his belt.

"**ULTIMATE MASKED RIDE: VORTEX!"**

"Mugen Henshin!" Ifrit called out as he swiped his pass over his belt buckle.

"**GOLD FORM!"**

Both Ifrit and Vortex stood in their strongest forms as they stared each other down. Vortex was in his Complete Form, possessing the power of the ten elements while Ifrit was in Gold Form and powered by his Mugenki.

"Ready?" asked Ifrit as he brandished his Ptera-Zanbato and Liner Cross-Rod.

"Hai, Sempai," Vortex nodded as he brandished his V-Book in its Sword Mode.

"Let's do this." Ifrit let loose a roar and charged at Vortex who charged right back. The two clashed and sparks flew as their weapons collided.

* * *

Hiro was depressed. After the final battle with Sauron he thought he could capture Ryuga and claim the reward but then the S-Class criminal did something totally unexpected.

He had turned himself in.

Now, since S-Class criminals were incredibly dangerous, they were set to be executed. Due to his numerous crimes that could only be summarized as mass murder and the systematic extinction of the human race, Ryuga was immediately executed. The oddest thing was that Ryuga, despite knowing his fate was sealed, promised he'd return for Ai. Whatever that meant didn't matter to Hiro. Ryuga had turned himself in so the reward on his capture was null and void.

Which was why Hiro was sitting in the Radish in a glum mood.

"Hiro-san."

Hiro cracked an eye open to see Setsuna before she sat down with him.

"Hello, Set-chan," Hiro greeted, putting on a smile.

Setsuna blushed at the nickname. Only Hiro would call her that and she liked it. She didn't care if he was a Rider or even a bounty hunter. To her she was her boyfriend.

"You seem depressed," analyzed Setsuna. "Care to talk about it?"

"Let's just say one of the hugest bounties in the multiverse escaped my grasp for good," said Hiro as he did his usual thing and point his fingers at the ceiling like a gun. "Bang, and it's gone just like that."

"There are others," she encouraged.

"Well, I just want to relax. That fight with Sauron took a lot out of me," said Hiro.

"I'm proud of you," she said out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"You helped save the world. I'm proud of you," said Setsuna.

"I didn't do much, save for shooting my gun around," said Hiro.

"Still, you were there and you helped save the world. Not many can say they've done something like that," spoke Setsuna as she placed a hand on his.

Hiro smiled. He may have lost Ryuga but he was glad that he hadn't lost Setsuna. He was happy to have her as his girl and he would defend her. He would not let her down.

"Say, how would you like to go to the King's Terminal with me?" he asked.

"As in a date?" Setsuna asked hopefully.

"Of course," said Hiro.

* * *

In the King's Terminal a portal suddenly appeared and out came Setsuna and Hiro. The portal then blinked out of existence as Setsuna stood by him. She had been here once before and still it looked amazing. To think such a place existed. It was fantastic. It looked like the biggest mall ever but it was really a train station.

"So, what would the lady like to do?" Hiro asked.

"Everything," she uttered.

"Your wish is my command."

* * *

"Hey Set-chan," said Hiro solemnly as he rode the Ferris wheel with Setsuna.

"What is it Hiro-san?" asked Setsuna curiously wondering why sound so depressed.

"I think it's time for you to know about my past and why I became a bounty hunter," said Hiro. He took in a deep breath before uttering out, "Four years ago I lost my family."

"What happened?" asked Setsuna, shocked at the sudden confession.

"Four years ago me my parents and my little sister, Mai, went to visit some relatives near Yoksuka. On the way there the car in front of us exploded causing some debris to come and hit the windshield. The debris killed my parents instantly and the car then went out of control." Hiro's eyes began to water a little as he continued to tell his story, "I remember grabbing Mai and closing my eyes wishing I was somewhere else and the next thing I knew I was here in the King's Terminal. I was safe but I was all alone."

"That's terrible," said Setsuna feeling sad for Hiro "How did the car explode?"

"The person inside it was an NCIS agent from Yoksuka doing an investigation on a terrorist cell that was rumored to be planning on blowing up the naval base that was there. They were later able to link it to a North Korean terrorist named Ari Haumesser. He later disappeared. I later became a bounty hunter so I could make a living and also collect information to find him. Two months later I met a dead end but then I met a man named Topper who told me where Ari was and who he was working for." Hiro revealed the C-Driver and the Crisis Masked Ride card. "Topper also gave me these to help me but now that Ari's dead I don't know what to do anymore."

Setsuna reached over and took his hands in hers. "You can stay in my world, with me," she said.

Hiro smiled. "I'd like that, but I'm not going to quit being a bounty hunter anytime soon."

"I'm not asking you to quit," she clarified, "Just promise to stay with me."

"I promise."

Out of the blue she requested, "Kiss me," while blushing bright red.

Hiro pulled her towards him and kissed the smaller girl deeply. Setsuna let her body go slack in his arms as she kissed him back. They broke the kiss and Setsuna leaned against him. "Tell me more," she requested of him.

* * *

"Here come the conquering heroes," said Makoto as he saw Ryuji and Kotonoha enter the classroom the following day.

It'd been two weeks since the Riders saved the world and a week after Kotonoha and Ryuji became man and wife. After the wedding, most of the Riders had gone back to their homeworlds. Craig, Ryuki, Jinx, Ichijyo, Takada Kat, Rose, Joseph, Raymond, Shawn and Bobby had gone back to the ZKD World. Kenzaki and Neko as well as their family had gone to the kingdom of Shangri-La which they had called home. Ryuushin had no reason to stay and neither did Siera so they both returned to the God Kingdom in her world. Yuji and Rina had also gone back to the Demon Kingdom. Since Sauron had been defeated, they had no reason to stay in the School Days world since the business was over and done with.

The only Riders remaining were Warren, Tazuka, Ryuji, Kotonoha, Hiro and Yuuki. Hiro Stratos had his own reasons for staying, with Setsuna being at the top of the list.

The Newspaper Club was still up and running but now under Ryuji and SDF's control since Kat had relinquished it. A few members of the SDF had become the new Newspaper Club with Yuuki remaining as the photographer. Roka also joined just to be with him. She covered sports. With Siera gone, Ryuji needed a new secretary for the SDF so he elected Kotonoha. Yuji was gone too so he needed a new second-in-command. He didn't need one, of course, since it was a formality, but he needed someone who could take his place once he graduated.

"Oh, shut up, Itou," remarked Ryuji with a smile.

"Hey, you should be proud," said Sekai. "Not many people can brag about saving the world."

"I did my job so it's old news," retorted Ryuji. "Sides, the world is safe so let's just leave it at that."

Everyone knew the Kamen Riders had saved the world, despite not being able to see the climatic battle between them and Sauron. The worldwide Stasis Field had been up, rendering them frozen along with time.

"Let's just be happy we managed to stop the end of the world," said Kotonoha.

"This time," Ryuji murmured. He eyed Benitora who was in an animated conversation with Hikari. For an Arrancar, he sure was a pacifist. Well, before he released his Zanpakutou and became Rojotigre that is. He hadn't participated in the final battle. When Ryuji confronted him and asked why, Benitora just told him he was busy protecting Hikari.

"So, how bad was it?" Sekai asked curiously.

"Really bad," said Ryuji. "I nearly died."

"You're exaggerating, right?" asked Makoto.

"I don't exaggerate," retorted Ryuji.

"Still, you have our thanks. The both of you," said Sekai.

Kotonoha and Ryuji nodded but then she asked, "How's Yamagata-san?"

Sekai gave a sideway glance to her purple-haired friend who sat alone at her desk and said, "She's still depressed, over Ryuga."

"Good riddance," muttered Ryuji. Kotonoha slapped his arm. "What was that for?"

"That was mean," Kotonoha chided. "You should be more sensitive."

"Hey, the guy was a dangerous sociopathic and psychopathic mass-murderer," retorted Ryuji. "I'm not going to cry over his grave."

Kotonoha frowned, "I know that, but you shouldn't say such things near Yamagata-san. She did love him."

"She'll get over it," Ryuji huffed. "It's for the better."

Kotonoha shook her head. Ryuga had turned himself in following the battle and had been executed. Ai was hit the hardest with the news. In Kotonoha's eyes, Ryuga had redeemed himself by turning himself in and giving up his life.

Warren came into the class and the students got back to their seats. He stood behind the podium as Setsuna said, "Rise, Bow, Sit." The students did as ordered. "Good morning, Warren-sensei."

"Good morning to you all too," said Warren. "Alright, before I begin, we have a new friend joining us." He turned to the door and said, "You may come in."

When the new student came in, Ryuga had to resist the urge to attack him on sight. He was dressed neatly in the boys' uniform and had light dark skin with slanted red eyes. His hair reached his shoulders and tied into a ponytail with his bangs framing his face.

"Good morning," the new student introduced himself. "I am Ryuga Mizuki."

Ryuji could smell him from where he sat. He knew that smell anywhere. It was Ryuga! Ryuga looked to him and smirked before looking up at Ai and giving her a soft smile. Warren coughed and said, "Well, Ms. Yamagata has an empty seat next to her so please sit there."

"Thank you," said Ryuga as he made his way up to her desk, passing Ryuji who snarled. He sat down next to Ai and leaned in to whisper, "I told you I'd be back."

Ai gasped. Now she could recognise him. Sure, his skin was darker and his hair was far shorter than before, but she could still recognise his face. "Ryuga-san…"

"Alright, I will take attendance and after that please open your text books to page 56," said Warren.

Ryuji barely paid attention the entire class. His attention was on Ryuga the entire time.

* * *

During the break between classes, Ryuji went up to Ryuga to confront him. "Ryuga!" he shouted.

Ryuga turned away from his conversation with Ai to look at Ryuji, annoyed, "May I help you?"

"Oh, don't you play dumb with me, you bastard," growled Ryuji. "How the hell are you back?"

"Why not ask Smith-sensei?" Ryuga asked.

Ryuji frowned. Warren was definitely way too calm. Even he could recognise Ryuga and still treated the Orphenoch King like just another student.

"Please, don't pick a fight with Ryuga-san," requested Ai, nearly begging. "Please."

"Ai's right," said Ryuga as he rose up, a hand reaching into his back pocket, "You don't want to pick a fight with me."

Ryuji's hand clenched and unclenched. "Excuse me," he said before he went towards the door. Kotonoha stood up and followed after him.

Setsuna blinked and looked to Hiro. He had enrolled in Sakakino in order to spend more time with Setsuna. "What was all that about?" Setsuna asked her world-jumping boyfriend.

"Ryuga, former S-Class bounty," Hiro answered, "He was executed after he turned himself in for his crimes." He was blunt.

"So, he's the one who got away," Setsuna nodded. She looked to Hiro curiously, "Wait, you said he was executed."

"That's just what I heard," Hiro shrugged. "But since he's been 'officially' executed, there's no bounty on him anymore." He muttered, "Lousy bureaucratic bullshit."

Yuuki looked worried too. If that was Ryuga for sure, then that meant a fight was likely to happen.

* * *

Ryuji went straight to the faculty room and confronted Warren who smiled. "Surprised?"

"How is he back? You said he was in Hell," said Ryuji.

"Who?"

"You know who. Ryuga!"

"Oh, the new transfer student," said Warren calmly.

"Yes, the new transfer student, and why is he using Aniki's surname?" Ryuji demanded.

"Because I adopted him," said Tazuka as he walked over. Ryuji gawked.

"You…what?"

"I adopted him," Tazuka repeated. "He's now officially Ryuga Mizuki, my little brother."

Ryuji looked betrayed as he looked back and forth between the two men he admired and looked up to. "This…can't be happening."

"Don't worry," said Tazuka. "Ryuga-kun is completely harmless now."

"'Ryuga' and 'harmless' do not fit in the same sentence unless there is a 'is not' in the middle," retorted Ryuji. "How could you do this?"

"He did his time already," said Warren.

"Oh, and how long was he in Hell for?" Ryuji huffed.

"A million years. Time really flies down there," Mizuki spoke.

"OK, but how is he free?" Ryuji asked.

"Ask Libra," Warren answered. "He pulled a few strings and put him under Tazuka's supervision."

'_Dad did this? Guess he's trying to make up for leaving us to play god_,' thought Ryuji.

"If you're worried about his powers, don't be. They've been sealed," said Warren. "He's got as much power as a dim light bulb. He doesn't have his psychic or Orphenoch powers."

"And you actually trust him?" questioned Ryuji.

"I do," said Mizuki. "He is my little brother. I have to trust him."

"This is bullshit, and you know it!" yelled Ryuji.

"What are you going to do about it?" Warren asked. Ryuji's only response was to leave on a huff. "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Ryuji waited until lunch to make his move. When the bell rang, he said to Kotonoha, "Let's have lunch in the cafeteria later. I have to do something."

"Alright," she nodded before she carried the basket filled with their lunch to the cafeteria.

Ryuji watched her go and sighed. He got up from his seat and went up to Ryuga and Ai who were just about ready to go have lunch together. "You and me, on the roof, right now," Ryuji challenged Ryuga. Ai heard it loud and clear.

"Please, you don't have to…" began Ai. He felt Ryuga's hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Ai." He narrowed his crimson eyes upon Ryuji. "If he wants to do this, then I can't refuse."

Ryuji and Ryuga stood on the rooftop, glaring at each other. "Warren told me all about it, and I still think it's a bunch of crap."

"What you think means little to me. I did my time," said Ryuga.

"You deserve to rot in Hell for all eternity!" Ryuji roared back.

"I did rot in there, for a million years. Can you endure the kind of torture I had? It makes you think about the things you've done. You have no idea what I went through down there," Ryuga remarked.

"I don't give a damn what you went through down there! I'm sending you right back!" Ryuji charged at Ryuga and threw a fist at him and his counterpart dodged to the side and then elbowed Ryuji in the back, hard, knocking him to the ground. Ryuji pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and swung his leg at Ryuga's feet but the former Orphenoch King leapt over the leg. Ryuji got back to his feet and hurled a fist at Ryuga who knocked it away with a right hook and then slammed his fist across Ryuji's face with a left hook. A jab in Ryuji's stomach made him double over but then Ryuji rammed his head into Ryuga's chin, sending him staggering back in pain.

"Hah!" Ryuji laughed. With most of Ryuga's powers sealed, he wasn't as powerful as before.

Ryuga rubbed his chin. "So, you're not going to hold back. It's a good thing this body was made to last."

"I won't stop until you're six feet under," Ryuji said coldly.

"Well, let's take it to the next level then," said Ryuga as he whipped his Z-Deck out from his back pocket, shocking Ryuji.

"You still have that!" Ryuji gawked in shock.

"Mizuki-oniisama was holding it for me," answered Ryuga. Black electricity travelled to his waist and formed his Z-Belt. Ryuji slung his Dyno Belt around his waist and fastened it on. He gripped his Dyno Pass tightly as Ryuga held his Z-Deck to his belt.

"Henshin!" Ryuga called as he slid in his deck.

"Henshin!" Ryuji called as he swiped his pass over his belt buckle.

"**SABRE FORM!**"

Their suits formed over them and the two warriors stared each other down. Both wore black and looked similar to one another. Red lights glowed under their visors as they went into their combat stances. They then charged at each other, roaring, as they drew back their fists.

"RARGH…!" They hurled their fists and they collided with explosive force, sending the two flying to opposite ends of the roof and hitting the guard fence surrounding it. Both regained their balance and charged at each other again. Limbs sailed through the air as they tried to strike at each other. Ifrit punched Onyx across the face and his opponent kneed him in the gut. Ifrit used her roundhouse kick on him but Onyx grabbed his ankle and spun around and around before tossing him through the air. Ifrit landed on the floor and skidded along the surface with his feet.

"Genki Hou!" Ifrit roared as he prepared to attack.

"_Guard Vent!_" Onyx summoned a pair of shields and the golden beam slammed into them. The beam was blocked as Onyx advanced towards Ifrit. Ifrit stopped firing and Onyx dropped his shields, drawing a card to slot into his Black Drag-Visor.

"_Sword Vent!_" His sword appeared in his hand and he slashed at Ifrit who rolled to the side, summoning his Ifrit Dao before lunging at Onyx. With his two swords in hand, he had the advantage, or so he would like to think. Sparks showered around them as their blades clashed. Ifrit really wanted to finish Onyx off.

Their blades met in a deadlock as they pushed against each other. "I didn't spend a million years in Hell doing nothing! I trained myself! If I could I could wield the flames of Hell myself!"

"Too bad you had your powers sealed!" retorted Ifrit.

"I don't need my powers to beat you! HYAH!" Onyx pushed Ifrit backwards with a hard kick, sending him staggering back, and Onyx capitalised on this by slashing at Ifrit repeatedly before disarming him.

"Kishamoth!" Ifrit called.

"**Alright, Ryuji-sama!**" the Mammoth Imagin obeyed as he switched with Loki inside the belt.

"**MAMMOTH FORM!**"

His armor exploded off his body, Cast Off style, and collided into Onyx to stun him. New armor formed over Ifrit and now he was in his Mammoth Form armor. His shoulder armor slid down his arm and covered his forearms and fists before he charged and rammed his armoured fists into Onyx, sending him flying.

Onyx tumbled along the ground before he crashed into one of the benches. He growled and got back to his feet. Ifrit got ready to continue the battle. The two approached each other and charged. Before they could come to blows, a pink stingray cut right through between, halting them. That could only mean one thing. Several energy arrows also shot at their feet as a warning. They turned their heads to see Zodiac Knight Sting and Kamen Rider Tenshi glaring at them.

Ifrit gulped. He could sense his angel's anger aimed at him along with her bowgun. "Oh…Koto-chan…"

"Don't even start," she shot back. "I waited for you but you never came. I should've known this would happen."

"I predicted this would happen," said Sting. "It's a good thing I stopped you both from making a horrible miatake."

"He's the mistake!" Ifrit pointed an accusing finger at Onyx.

"He's done his time, Ryuji," said Sting. "Just let it go."

"I can't…"

Sting frowned and said to Tenshi, "Get him out of here. I have a little brother to scold."

"Which one?" Tenshi asked.

"You know which."

Tenshi nodded and went to Ifrit. She grabbed his wrist and dragged him away to give Sting and Onyx some privacy.

"You were supposed to stay out of trouble," Sting said to Onyx.

"He was the one who challenged me," Onyx defended.

"You could've declined," reasoned Sting.

"You know I never decline challenges," Onyx retorted.

"Just get out of your armor. Your girlfriend is waiting for you."

* * *

The students knew well enough to make way for Ryuji when he walked the hallway in a foul mood. Only Kotonoha could calm him down whenever he was like this. Right now, the Captain of the SDF was angry. He was angry about Ryuga coming back and having their fight interrupted. Kotonoha was upset at him too, mostly about lying to her and going behind her back.

"You still hate him, don't you?" she questioned.

"Isn't it that obvious? He may have helped us to fight Sauron but I can't trust him," Ryuji retorted.

"I think I know why you hate him," said Kotonoha. "He reminds you of what you may become."

Ryuji stopped walking to give Kotonoha a glare. "I am nothing like him."

"You forget that he is you."

"Don't remind me," he muttered.

She took his hand in hers and said softly, "Stop holding anymore grudges. Please. You know what happens if you let your anger get out of control."

Ryuji gave a sigh and said, "I…I just don't know how to deal with this."

"You can start by trusting Tazuka-sensei and Warren-sensei," said Kotonoha. "They know what they're doing."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Ai asked as she and Ryuga walked home together.

"Well, being back in a physical body again is something I definitely need to get used to," Ryuga said.

"Was it true that you went to Hell?" Ai asked carefully.

"I deserved it," said Ryuga.

"But you're back. How come?" she asked.

"Someone pulled some strings and convinced them to give me a second chance," said Ryuga. He was referring to Libra. "Not that I deserve one, after all I've done."

"You told me what happened and why you did it."

"Doesn't make it right. I was taking my pain the our on others."

"But you realise that now."

"Too little too late. I can't change my past, no matter how much I wanted to. I have to look forward to the future." He gave Ai a look. "Why did you wait for me? I thought you'd just forget about me."

"Why would you think that?" she asked, aghast by his inquiry.

"You know of my sins. You're too good for me," he said. "Why did you want me, a killer, back in your life? You got hurt because of me."

"Well, love is blind," said Ai. "I can't help how I still feel about you. I just…can't stop loving you."

Ryuga let out a sigh. "I really don't deserve you, you know that?"

"Well, you have me, and I have no intentions of running away," she said with a smile. He couldn't help but return the smile.

* * *

Chie had come home to visit for the weekend. Actually, she wanted to check up on her brother. After the battle with Sauron she really wanted to know if he was alright. To her relief he'd survived and she hugged him to the point of smothering him. She was proud of him and glad to see that it was all over. Now, he wouldn't need to be a Rider ever again. That was what she thought, of course, but she thought wrong.

All of a sudden several silvery veils fell around them, shocking them both. Yuuki narrowed his eyes.

"What's going on!" Chie shouted.

"Dimensional Rifts," muttered Yuuki. He got ready to transform. These things usually brought passengers of the dangerous kind. Yuuki kept Chie behind him so to better protect her, but the veils started moving again. Before either of them could react, the veils had passed over them and they vanished into thin air.

Opening his eyes, Yuuki blinked when he saw that the scenery had changed. Instead of their home there was a large fountain with modernist sculptures acting as fountains. The sky was dark and a full moon hung in the sky. There were no people around save for Chie and Yuuki.

His older sister gasped. "Where…where are we?"

"My domain," a new voice answered.

Yuuki whirled around with Chie standing behind him, ready for anything. Staring down the one who spoke, Yuuki was slightly surprised to see who he was looking at. It was a young man who seemed to be in his twenties and had reddish-brown hair. He was wearing a black vest with red pants and had a scarf around his neck. Next to him was a flying metal bat with large red eyes and was mainly gold and black.

"And who are you?" Yuuki questioned.

"Wataru Kurenai," the man answered as he stepped closer, walking along the edge of the fountain. "And you are Vortex, am I right?"

"Huh?" Yuuki blinked. "How did you know that?"

"Now's not the time to talk though," Wataru shrugged. "Now's the time to act. Time is short and there is still so much that needs to be done."

"And you need my help?" Yuuki questioned further.

Wataru nodded. Before Yuuki could ask more questions or Wataru could explain more, heavy breathing could be heard. Yuuki was instantly at alert while Wataru clenched his fists. Stepping out of the shadows was a host of monsters Yuuki hadn't seen before. They were all black-skinned, but also looked like they had stained glass growing out of said skin. All of them appeared to be a fusion between human and animal as well.

"Ahhh!" Chie cried, clutching onto Yuuki.

Yuuki gasped at the approaching monsters. "What are these things?"

"Fangires," Wataru answered. "My enemies and enemies you may face one day. Kivat."

"Yosh!" the metal bat cried as it dove down to Wataru's and opened its mouth. "Bite!"

The bat bit down on Wataru's hand, making veins pulse out. Stained glass markings appeared on the young man's face as he grabbed the bat and raised him up. Chains encircled his waist before fusing together to create a blood red belt with what looked like whistles on the sides.

"Henshin," Wataru spoke as he attached the bat to his belt, hanging upside down.

A ringing sound burst through the air as Wataru's body turned silver. His entire body then shifted before the silver shattered off, revealing his new form. He was in a black bodysuit with silver torso armor and red chest plating. His shoulders looked like silver bat wings which were chained up and his hands were covered in red plating. His right leg was covered in silver armor which was chained up while the other boot remained bare. His head was covered in a black helmet that had large yellow eyes trimmed in red with an ornament on his forehead shaped like a bat's head.

As soon as Wataru had transformed, a card appeared in Yuuki's hand. On it was a headshot of Kiva. It looked like Fang but Fang had a red visor and Kiva's was yellow.

"Kiva?" Yuuki uttered as he saw the new card in his hand.

"Huh?" Chie responded.

As Kiva got ready to fight the Fangires he said to Yuuki, "That is my power. Use it to aid you on your new mission."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Yuuki, but Kiva already leaped at the charging Fangires with a battle cry of his own. Yuuki tried to follow to lend a hand, but he and Chie were suddenly surrounded by the silver energies again. Everything around them faded away. They stayed in that limbo for only a short time before they emerged somewhere new. This time they were outside a café called The Milk Dipper.

Yuuki tried to make sense of what was going on, but it was all over his head. Chie was just as confused if not more so. This was beyond anything they had experienced before. Yuuki himself had faced monsters as Vortex and had seen Stasis Fields and these silvery veils, but he had not been carried by one. As they tried to get their heads back on straight, the door to the Milk Dipper opened and a young man walked out.

He looked to be around the same age as Wataru and had messy black hair. He had a white sweater and jeans on with a red and black checkered scarf rapped around his neck. He took in the sight of Chie and Yuuki and blinked.

"You're early," he sighed. "Still that means progress is being made faster than expected."

"Who are you?" asked Yuuki. "Are you with Wataru-san?"

"We've met," the young man nodded. "I am Ryotaro Nogami. It's a pleasure to meet you Yuuki Ashikaga."

"How do you know my name?" asked Yuuki with confusion.

"Someone will have to explain it to you later," Ryotaro sighed. "Right now I don't have enough time to go over details. The point is that you are going to play an important role in things to come."

"I am?" wondered Yuuki.

Suddenly, the sound of flowing sand echoed and the three youths turned to see a creature rising up from a pile of sand. It looked like a blue bat monster of some kind. Behind it, more such creatures were rising up from growing piles of sand. None of them looked friendly as they started stalking towards the trio.

"Things are already getting out of hand," Ryotaro frowned as he drew out a machine-like belt that had a clack-like face on the front and four colored buttons. He quickly wrapped it around his waist. "You have to find your cards if you want a chance to stop it."

"My cards?" Yuuki asked.

"Yes," Ryotaro nodded. He pressed a red button on his belt, turning the centre red while a song seemed to echo from it. He then produced a black train pass and swiped it over the front. "Henshin!"

"**SWORD FORM!"**

Shard of red covered Ryotaro, putting him in a black bodysuit which had black and silver chest armor. His boots and gantlets were white. His helmet was also white with black eyes. However, that didn't stay long as red chest armor appeared and attached to his front with red shoulder plates. Yellow and black sections attached to his back in a similar fashion. A light flashed on his helmet before a red peach slid down his face, locking onto the eyes and splitting open to turn into a new visor.

"Ore sanjou!" the armored man called as he struck a pose.

Chie and Yuuki blinked. The bespectacled boy had seen this Rider before. Heck, he'd even been this Rider. "Den-O?"

"Do you know this guy, Yuuki?" Chie asked, overhearing Yuuki's words.

"Umm…sort of," was all Yuuki could say. She had only seen the Rider form but had not met Ryotaro. He had met Momotaros. Then a new card appeared in his hand, this one depicting Den-O.

"Hmph," Den-O snorted as he assembled four black items together and a red blade extended from the tip. "Find the rest of the cards. Save us all. Ikuze, ikuze ikuze!"

The crimson fighter dashed at the assembling monsters, slashing wildly with his weapon. As the first strike was made, everything vanished in silver. Yuuki quickly grabbed into Chie's hand, making sure not to lose her. It didn't take long before the silver vanished again, but this time they were standing on an observation deck of Tokyo Tower.

"Wow," Yuuki gaped at the sight of the city.

"Oh my," Chie gasped.

"Nice, isn't it?"

Chie and Yuuki turned to see a man walking towards them. He was wearing traditional clothes with sandals and his hands in his pockets. His hair was messy and black and massive confidence was in his eyes.

"And who might you be?" asked Yuuki, guessing this guy wanted to say something too.

"I am the man who walks the path of heaven and will one day rule over everything," the men introduced. "Souji Tendou."

"Uhh," Yuuki blinked. Weird guy.

"You are Yuuki Ashikaga, correct? The boy who becomes Vortex. It seems you are lacking something you'll need before you can fully undertake the task which needs to be done."

"And that would that be?" asked Yuuki. "The rest of my cards?" He had plenty of cards but if his encounter with Wataru and Ryotaro had taught him anything then that meant he'd get a new set.

Tendou nodded. Suddenly a smashing noise echoed from the back. Tendou reacted quickly as he turned to face the source. It turned out to be a doorway being smashed down by several green cocoon-like monsters with skeletal faces and long claws. Chie shrieked, never liking insects and hid behind Yuuki.

"You know what you have to do," Tendou frowned as he revealed a silver belt around his waist. A buzzing noise echoed through the room and a robotic rhino beetle flew into the room and landed in Tendou's hand. He held the device up before locking it into his belt with a cry of, "Henshin!"

"**Henshin!" **the beetle repeated.

A hexagonal field rose up from the belt, covering him in armor. It was mainly silver and red and looked very thick. His helmet was silver with a short horn ornament on the forehead with a large blue visor. His arms were covered with segmented armor and his neck wasn't visible since the armor was so thick.

Chie saw another card appear in Yuuki's hand, depicting an armored man in sleeker armor with blue eyes and a rhinoceros beetle horn bisecting his visor.

"Kabuto," Yuuki read the name of the Rider. Was this the same Rider? He looked different.

"Cast Off!" Kabuto commanded as he pulled the horn, causing his armor to come loose.

"**Cast Off!**" the beetle repeated and the thick silver armor flew off Kabuto, miraculously missing Yuuki and Chie. Now he had a sleeker armor with a red chestplate, a black bodysuit, and metal arm and legs bands. A horn rose and bisected the blue visor.

"**Change Beetle!**"

Yuuki looked at the card and then back at Kabuto. "Alright. Now it makes sense," said Yuuki.

"Go, find the other cards. Find the power," Kabuto spoke as he dashed at the approaching monsters. He then vanished in the silver haze again with Yuuki and Chie being the only people there. The silver faded to reveal a thick forest with large trees surrounding everything.

"What now?" asked Yuuki, hoping not to find more monsters.

"Now you find another part of what you need."

Yuuki and Chie turned to see another man, this one maybe in his late twenties to early thirties and wearing camping gear. A friendly smile was on his face and he had short black hair.

"Do you mean those cards that the other men were talking about?" asked Chie.

"Yes," the man answered. He then looked out at the forest, where noises of movements were heard. "It looks like we are about to have company."

Sure enough, several humanoid figures emerged from the brush. However, they were all humanoid animals of some kind. All of them were either male or female with a colored scarf. They all looked especially violent with snarls echoing from their mouths.

"Joy," Yuuki grumbled as he stood at Chie's side and got ready to use his V-Driver with his newly acquired cards from Kiva, Den-O and Kabuto.

"Better get moving," the man frowned as he removed his pack and produced a small turning fork with a gold demon face on it. Taking it, he tapped it on a nearby tree before holding it to his head. A gold demon face then emerged on his forehead before he ignited in purple flames.

"Woah!" Chie gasped.

A low vocal tone echoed through the air as Yuuki could faintly see the man's body change. Finally, he waved his arm and the flames went out. He was donned in purple/blue armor which looked like a second skin. A silver belt was across his waist with a drum-like centre. Silver metal chest armor was on his torso while his feet and hands were covered in red armor. His face was the same color as his body with red markings and horns and the gold demon face on the forehead. Attached to the back of his belt were two drumsticks which were red and had two demon heads on the tips. They looked like they were made of crystal.

He looked like Kamen Rider Oni but the card in Yuuki's hand revealed his identity.

"Hibiki," Yuuki breathed.

"You two had better get going," Hibiki spoke as he drew his weapons. "Things aren't going to be this peaceful for long."

With that, he charged at the monsters, the world turning silver as he went. Yuuki and Chie could only watch as the man vanished. Before too long, they emerged from the silver limbo near a three story European house. It seemed a little cramped, but otherwise very nice.

The front door opened and a man came out. He had chin length black hair and seemed to be in his twenties. He had blue riding gloves on and a helmet under his arm. Looking at Yuuki and Chie, a look of relief came over his face.

"About time you got to me," he smiled. "My name's Kazuma Kenzaki. Nice to meet you two. It's good to finally meet you too, Yuuki-kun."

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Yuuki asked.

"That's what I want to know too," said Chie, irritated by all the mystery.

"Ah, you'll find out, but not right now," Kazuma grinned, playfully punching Yuuki's shoulder. "I've heard of you. Great job with protecting your world, but it's not over yet. Now you just need to get the other cards."

"Other cards, you mean like these?" Yuuki asked as he showed the Kiva, Den-O, Kabuto and Hibiki Masked Ride cards to Kazuma.

Kazuma nodded. "So, you've met the others. That's good. Only 5 more to go."

Before Kazuma could explain further, growls were heard coming from nearby. Turning to the source, Kazuma frowned to see monsters walking towards them as a group. They all had various black or studded clothing on and looked to be hybrids of certain kinds of animals or plants. In all, a very terrifying group.

"More monsters," Chie murmured.

"Tsk! They're getting faster," Kazuma frowned. He drew a gray box with a clear centre and slid a card inside that depicted a rhino beetle with a spade on its back. Holding it to his waist, a red belt extending from it and wrapped around his waist. He then grabbed a handle on the side of the buckle and pulled with a cry of "Henshin!"

"**Turn Up!"**

A blue rectangular field that depicted the image on the card flew from the belt and Kazuma ran through it. He emerged on the other side wearing a blue bodysuit with silver armor and spades depicted on the shoulders and chest. His helmet was blue save for the silver face and the single horn rising from it. The eyes were two red orbs in which he could see through.

Yuuki's newest card appeared just as Kazuma transformed. He read the name, "Kamen Rider Blade." Yuuki frowned as he prepared to leap into the battle alongside the armored man. He got out his Vortex card and strapped on his V-Driver.

Yuuki wanted to help the charging armored figure, but that didn't come to be. Instead, the world turned silver again, cutting him off from assisting the man in the battle against the monsters. Grumbling to himself, Yuuki and Chie emerged in front of a large corporate building. A nearby sign called it Smart Brain, which Yuuki thought was an odd name.

"I'm getting dizzy from all this," moaned Chie.

"About time you two got here," a voice sighed. "I'm freezing out here and I hate the cold."

The owner of the voice was a man who was wearing a black coat and a pair of dark pants. He had long reddish brown hair that reached his shoulders. He kept his hands in his pockets as he walked over to the pair.

"And who are you?" asked Yuuki. "Another Rider?" So far, the men he and Chie had met had been Kamen Riders.

"You got it," the man nodded. "I'm Takumi Inui. You can't stay long though. They're getting wise. All I can say is that you're going to need your new powers and you're close to completing your set. You don't have much farther to go."

Reaching into his coat, Takumi pulled out a silver belt that had a telescope and a camera attached to it. He wrapped the device around his waist and pulled out a cellphone. He then began punching numbers into it. He dialed 555.

"You two had better get moving," he sighed. "Things are about to get ugly."

"FAIZ!" a bestial voice roared out.

The voice belonged to one of many monsters that were racing up a set of stairs. All of them looked like ornate creatures that were either gray or white. They all looked rather angry too. Yuuki knew what they were. They were Orphenochs.

Takumi pressed the 'Enter' button and closed his phone.

"**Standing By."**

"Henshin!" Takumi cried as he inserted the phone into his belt and locked it in place.

"**Complete."**

Red lines rose from the belt and he flashed red. When the light died down, he was covered in a black bodysuit and silver chest armor that had the red lines running down his arms and legs. His head was covered in a black helmet that had large yellow eyes and a small mouth piece.

Yuuki's eyes widened in recognition. He was Faiz? He had met Faiz and it had been an American named Craig Smith. The instant Faiz had transformed, Yuuki gained Faiz's Masked Ride card though it looked different from the one he had before.

"Get going," Faiz advised as he flicked his wrist. "Just a little further and you'll get all the cards you need.."

Yuuki and Chie reluctantly obeyed since they knew whatever force that was sending them to these places wasn't going to let them help. As they backed away from Faiz, who was still staring down the approaching monsters, everything was covered in silver again. Chie and Yuuki then emerged inside of a building. There were only three computer terminals and a desk. It looked to be an office for a magazine of some kind.

At one computer was a young man with red hair that was shoulder length. He had a white t-shirt on and jeans. On his chair was a blue jacket. The man didn't seem to notice the pair until he glanced up.

"Hey," he smiled. "Good to see you Yuuki. My name's Shinji Kido."

"Konnichiwa," Yuuki greeted politely.

Shinji shrugged. "You're making good time. You're very close to the completing your collection. A little further and you'll have them all. Just keep a close eye on them or else you'll fail."

"Hey, can't you tell us what is going on?" Chie demanded impatiently and irritated. After several dimensional jumps she had gotten used to them. In fact, having a brother and several schoolmates who were Riders helped her get used to all the weirdness.

A ringing sound was heard, however only Shinji heard it. Yuuki and Chie remained clueless. "No time. They're here." Shinji got up and took out a rectangular case with a golden dragon's head stamped on the front. He held it out in front of him, facing the computer screen, a metal belt wrapped around his waist, with a slot in the front which the case would fit in.

Yuuki had seen this before. Ryuki Hasuma had used an item like Shinji's to transform into Zodiac Knight Draco.

"Henshin!" Shinji called as he threw his other arm across his chest before sliding the case into the belt's slot. He crossed his arms and then pulled them to his sides, fists clenched as black and white images overlapped his body to form a suit of armor. He was clad in a red bodysuit with black and silver armor. His helmet had red eyes concealed by a grilled visor.

Like before a card appeared in Yuuki's hand and he looked it over. "Ryuki," uttered Yuuki as he read his newly required card. How ironic that this Rider's name was Draco's real name.

"You have the power to save the world, Yuuki," said Ryuki before diving through the computer screens.

"Hey, wait!" Chie called but then the silvery energy took him and Yuuki elsewhere. "Now what?" She was starting to get annoyed, even if it was cool to see these men in armor. The silver quickly faded away to reveal an abandoned construction site in the middle of the night.

"Welcome to my world," another voice spoke up. Both Chie and Yuuki turned, already expecting someone new. This man was wearing a pullover sweater and dark pants. His hair was brown and reached to his shoulder and he seemed to look like a perfectly normal man.

"Sorry for it being so late, but as you can probably guess, it can't wait," the man sighed. "Forgive my manners. My name is Shouichi Tsugami. I have something to tell you."

"OK, tell us then," prompted Chie.

"Your world will soon face another crisis, and Yuuki must be the one to save it," Shouichi informed Chie. "With help from his allies he will win."

Yuuki desperately wanted to ask some questions of his own, but that was halted when the sounds of clattering pipes captured his attention. Emerging from the darkness around them were animal men donned in robes or ceremonial dressing. All of them looked intimidating as they stared down the trio.

"Agito…" several of them growled, staring at Shouichi .

"And my time has run out," Shouichi frowned, summoning up his power. A swirl of white light appeared on his waist before it solidified into a belt. He raised his hands up briefly before bringing them back down on the buttons on the sides. "Henshin!"

Shouichi's body seemed to ripple before it completely changed. Now he was donned in a black bodysuit which had mostly black armor. Still, the main section of the chest was gold along with the spikes rising from the shoulders. The horns were gold as well, with red eyes being the final part.

Yuuki's new card depicted Shouichi 's armored state and with a name too. "Agito," Yuuki breathed.

"There's still one more!" Agito said to Yuuki before he charged at the monsters. "Find him!"

Yuuki gaped at the brave man before everything was covered in silver again. It was beginning to annoy him like his sister, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. All he could really do was go with the flow. With nothing much else, he waited for the silver to clear. When it did, Chie and Yuuki found themselves at some old ruins.

"This is the last place?" asked Chie.

"It is," a male voice replied. A man stepped out of the ruins. He was dressed in a tan coat with jeans. He had black hair and looked to be the kind of guy that people could easily get along with. "My name is Yuusuke Godai. Kamen Rider Kuuga."

"I'm Yuuki Ashikaga and this is my sister, Chie."

"I know. As you must know, in our Multiverse there are many worlds which exist," Yuusuke explained. "They never meet and remained separate from each other. However, these worlds are being drawn together. If this continues, they would eventually overlap and eventually destroy one another. Your world will be among the first to be destroyed."

"What is causing this?" Chie asked.

"And how can we stop it?" asked Yuuki. This was pretty serious. The fate of the world itself was at stake in all this craziness?

Yuusuke replied, "You and your friends must travel to the other worlds in order to prevent the destruction. It will be up to you all to find what plagues each of those worlds and stop it before the problem becomes too severe and allows your world to fuse with the others."

"But why me? Why was I chosen?" Yuuki asked. He knew he had been chosen to be Vortex by Topper but he had chosen to be Vortex to protect his own world.

"It's fate," Yuusuke answered. "Fate has chosen you to be your world's champion."

Groans echoed from within the ruins and animalistic people began emerging from them. They all had gold buckles on their waists and wearing clothes which looked like they had come from an ancient tribe of people.

"It's up to you Yuuki. You and your friends," Yuusuke frowned as he summoned a metal belt with a red core. "We can only hold it back so long. It will be up to you and your friends to stop it!"

Putting his arms through a motion, Yuusuke cried out "Henshin!" There was a beeping noise before Yuusuke was engulfed in a suit of armor. It was a black bodysuit with red chest armor and shoulders. Gold wrist bands and ankle bands were near his hands and feet. His helmet was black with red eyes and golden horns.

"Kuuga," Yuuki said when he received his final card.

"Time is running out Yuuki," Kuuga spoke as he took a battle stance. "You must stop what is occurring!"

Then he was gone.

The world had become engulfed with a silver veil again. Chie was clutching onto Yuuki for security while the world shifted. Finally, the silver veil faded away to reveal their home.

"Woah…" Chie gasped. "What a rush. Yuuki, that was crazy. I think I need to sit down now."

Yuuki agreed, "I think I need to sit down as well, Nee-san."

Both teens sat back down in the living room. Yuuki took out his V-Book and opened it up to check his cards. He pulled out the new set of Masked Ride cards he'd gained from that strange trip.

"Kuuga, Agito, Ryuki, Faiz, Blade, Hibiki, Kabuto, Den-O and Kiva," Yuuki read each of the cards. So similar to the Riders he knew and yet so different as well. "Topper-san, are you behind this? Are you trying to tell me that my job isn't over yet?"

* * *

Yuuki went to see Warren and he told the man of his experience. He even showed Warren his new cards and told him of the Riders he'd met during that short yet odd trip to other worlds.

"So, what do you think it all means, sensei?" Yuuki asked.

Warren handed the cards back to Yuuki and said, "Dark days are coming Yuuki...a dark past is rearing its ugly head, and threatening everything we fought for. I'm sorry to say...but it looks like Sauron was just the warm-up."

Sauron was just a warm-up? What did that mean? Did that mean that stronger enemies would come? If that was the case then Yuuki had to be ready.

Ryuga's return had surprised him as well and while he was glad that he wasn't their enemy anymore, it was hard to trust a guy who tried to kill you and had done so much evil. Yuuki still wanted them to work together, though. Ryuga didn't seem so bad anymore. Unfortunately, Ryuji just couldn't bring himself to trust the former Orphenoch King.

Still, Yuuki needed to tell the others now too. Something big was approaching and only they could stop it from destroying the world and the other worlds in the Multiverse.

* * *

Within a dark chamber, filled with computers and a multitude of electronic gadgets, Rosalinda stood before an empty glass tube that stood within the middle. Standing at her flanks were Grimm and Jack Moon. Her children, the twins Damon and Demona, were also present.

"Mama, will this really bring back Papa?" Demona asked.

"I hope," Rosalinda said as she unwrapped the building she was carrying. It was Sauron's mask. She opened the tube and put in the mask before sealing it inside. "Start the machine."

"Yes," Grimm obeyed and activated the machine by pressing a button at one of the computer consoles. Glowing crimson fluid began to fill the airtight glass tube. It bubbled as the twins watched in amazement.

"Did it work?" Jack Moon asked.

Rosalinda clenched the front of her kimono in apprehension. She could not lose her beloved Sauron now. Demona and Damon tugged at her sleeves in expectation.

The mask floated inside the crimson fluid and then remained still before a voice came out from the audio speakers installed.

"_Where am I? What happened?_"

Rosalinda cried tears of joy. It had worked. Demona and Damon were joyous to see their Royal Father alive again. Of course, the time of celebration turned into that of dread as Sauron's voice boomed.

"_WHERE IS MY BODY!_" The crimson fluid glowed brightly and bubbled violently befitting her current mood.

Demona and Damon quickly hid behind their mother as Rosalinda strode forward, pressing her hand against the glass tube.

"Mistress, forgive me for being the bearer of bad news, but you were defeated in combat," Rosalinda informed.

"_By the Riders…_" Sauron snarled. "_AND WARREN SMITH!_" The crimson fluid's glow intensified and bubbled violently.

"Yes, unfortunately," said Rosalinda apologetically. "But I was able to recover your mask which contained your soul and brought it back here to our home in the Horror's World. We even built this machine so that you would be able to communicate with us."

"_My beloved Rosalinda, my most dutiful servant and wife. You do so much for me. I am grateful_," said Sauron.

"Mistress…" Rosalinda pressed herself against the tube, wrapping her arms around it in an embrace.

"_So close and yet I have no hands to hold you nor a body to hold you against_," said Sauron sadly.

"For now, this is enough for me," said Rosalinda.

"We will find a way to regenerate your body," swore Grimm.

"Papa," the twins chimed.

"_My children, does it sadden you to see me in such a pathetic state_?" asked Sauron. The twins shook their heads. "_It saddens me. I am ashamed. I am defeated and now I have been reduced to this state._" Her tone then turned malicious, "_But, mark my words, I shall avenge my defeat and the Riders will pay. I may be weakened now but I shall collect my power once more and they will be hell to pay!_"

"You talk big for a mask in a tube!" snickered an insane voice.

"Who goes there!" demanded Jack Moon as he reached for his sword.

Stepping into the light were none other than Yazoo, Malum and Odium.

"How the mighty have fallen," chuckled Odium with a shake of his head.

"Indeed," agreed Yazoo. "You are no longer your old self."

"Something's different about you? Did you lose weight?" mocked Odium.

"How dare you!" Jack Moon charged but Odium's fist met his face and knocked him to the ground.

"Can I kill him?" Odium asked his brothers eagerly.

"No," said Yazoo.

"Torture him? Maim him? Dismember him?"

Yazoo repeated, "None of that at all."

Odium frowned like a child denied his candy before tossing Jack Moon away.

"_I haven't met you_," said Sauron as she saw the third brother.

"Of course not. You may call me Malum."

"_What is it you want?_" Sauron asked.

"Why…we want Warren Smith of course."

* * *

Kamen Rider Chrome: Looks like they will encounter a new threat in the future. Who or what is it? It can't be good. Looks like the Riders need to get ready for what is coming next.


End file.
